


1001 nights

by SyffyLeafy



Category: Finding Dory - Fandom, Finding Nemo
Genre: Ever seen 50 first dates?, F/M, Give it up for the strangest game of seven minutes in heaven ever!, Hank is the grouchiest sub and its great, Human!, Humanised, Lovestruck goofballs, Memory Loss, Multi, Other, Suggestive Themes, This is so not that its just the memory thing and awkward romancing, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 01:34:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7385641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyffyLeafy/pseuds/SyffyLeafy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>' I suffer from short term memory loss'</p><p>There is no rhyme or reason to it, no malice or joy.</p><p> It just...happens. And don't even start with how emotions get tied into the mix.</p><p>But it happens! She'd be more careful remembering important stuff if it just /stuck/. </p><p>And sometimes ( almost always) said memory loss comes back to bite you.</p><p>//A work in progress featuring heavy cuddles, nightmares, PTSD recovery and that darn leaky memory.</p><p>FIRST CHAPTER UPDATED</p>
            </blockquote>





	1001 nights

**Author's Note:**

> Do I deliver, or do I DELIVER? * don't answer that*

She sleepwalks, of course.

It's not exactly an issue, but the risk is still there. 

She didn’t know what made her do it. And yet there she was, standing and staring at the door for the umpteenth (or whatever teenth) time, compelled to go inside after forgetting exactly why she should.

She shouldn’t; really shouldn’t bother him or anyone at this time of night (it was night-time right? Pyjama’s and quiet all around. ’ _Time for sleeping, Dory’_ Time.)

But she was awake, quite awake. Something had made her wake up in the dead of the night and she just... couldn’t... Did she hear a noise?

Just then?

Dory had no wristwatch to check the hour, but she was pretty sure no-one was going to be out doing whatever it was they were doing.

Normal people slept at night.

That should have included herself but hey, maybe there was a burglar!

“Hello?” And greeting a potential burglar is exactly what you did _not_ do. That sounded a lot like Marlin, the worrywart. But where she was careless he was cautious, afraid because he knew too much.

There wasn’t an answer, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anybody awake.

“Hello...?” She called out again, a little louder.

The noise didn’t repeat itself, but there was...something. Staring off into the darkened hallway was a lot like trying to remember. It did little good on a good day, and waking up in the middle of the night was hardly the start (or end) of a good one.

So if it wasn’t a burglar it might be some of the other occupants. But... Hadn’t Marlin given her one of the condo’s unit for herself (and eventually her parents) for whatever use she wanted? That meant she was technically living alone. So any noises or sounds she heard in her apartment could never have come from other people moving around or sleeping because technically there weren’t any.

So, burglar.

Oh boy.

Quietly, Dory stepped through the hallway, fingers glancing the wall for support as she scanned the dark for movement. She should have brought a torch, or flicked the light switch, or grabbed a bat to scare off any violently inclined intruders- “What are you doing up?”

With a yell Dory launched a good foot in the air, snapped out her arm to fend off whoever had sneaked up on her. From the contact and the resulting ‘ _D’ouch_!’ she might’ve hit an eye. There was a scuffle for the hallway light, both of them slapping the switch.

The sudden brightness was enough to make her give a second, less theatrical yell of surprise. “Oh my goodness- _Hank!_ What are you doing scaring me? It’s the middle of the night!”

“I know, that’s what I asked _you_.” He was holding one hand to his head, cradling his right eye socket like someone just landed a good hook on him. The sight made her flutter uselessly to his side, hands raised like she wanted to help.

"I heard something, - so I thought hey, ‘ _maybe there’s an intruder_ ’ but then I was like ‘ _well silly it can also be one of your friends’_ but then I remembered that Marlin and Nemo got their own place so _technically_ I’m supposed to be alone and – “

“You got a lucky shot because you thought I was an intruder, and _you’re sorry_? Jeez kid. . . “

“I know! I know, and I didn’t think and didn’t remember – _Oh_ you’ve been here this whole time right? How many times did this happen? Are you sure I didn’t blind you I – I can get help, I can fix it! Just let me – “

“Alright, alright, stop – it’s _alright_! “ During her increasingly wilder rant he’d backed away from her in half bursts; raising his arms to block her reaching fingers and finally clamping down on her shoulder to shove her back at arm’s length. Dory stepped back and clasped her hands in front of her.

“Are you okay? You look like –“–“I got hit in the eye? Yeah, you did.”

“Oh my gosh I’m sorry! - ” “You said that already...”- “But I am, -“The dry chuckle to her childish tone only worsens her nerves; he sounds so tired and broken that it hurt to listen to that sound.

“I’m sorry…- “She breaks off again. This, Dory realizes, is how you really lose people. By being indifferent and inconsiderate and punching them in the eye.

“It’s…” He sighed, barely hesitating before he lowered the hand still cupped over his eye to drop it on her head. Ruffling the mop of hair in a comforting and familiar way. “No harm done, well, no more harm done. Sorry I spooked ya, kid.” She bobs her head, unwilling to dislodge the warm hand draped over her cranium. In a small voice she asks.

“What are you doing out here? “

“Well, I was trying to sleep. Did you know you talk? In your sleep, I mean. “Her eyes widen and she’s sure her face must be beet red by now. Her reaction is so new it doesn’t get the attention over the embarrassment of _punching her friend in the eye after waking him up._

“Oh boy, I am so sorry see, - I don’t know if Marlin told you about the sleepwalking and the sleep talking and – “

“He told me, amongst other things. “ He must be kidding around or that’s a tiny smile hiding under all that beard of his. You could hide things in there, or lunch. “Okay ...? “ Shaking his head, he leaned forward t look her evenly in the eye.

“Don’t worry about it, I couldn’t sleep anyways. You didn’t...you don’t remember?”

“What I ... Oh, _oh_. Nope. Not exactly, I mean. “Her frown dispatched quickly, beaming up at Hank with what she hoped was her friendliest grin. He gave a lopsided one in answer.

“Well...Let’s just go to our beds and try to sleep. Tomorrow’s Thursday and I’m not facing those kids without some Z’s. “

“Okay.”

“G’night kid.” Another ruffle and he turned back to the open door, throwing a wave over his shoulder as it closed behind him.

“Goodnight Hank.” Dory turned to switch off the light and made sure to keep as quiet as possible. Suddenly the space felt colder without the cheery illumination. The dark hallway was ominous, and she couldn’t for the life of her recall why she was out there in the first place.

Maybe she’d heard a noise and gone out to investigate? Or just gotten out of bed to get some water.

At least that’s what she thought had happened.

“Huh, weird. “ She murmured out loud, turning on her heel to get back into bed. The cold sheets were just a tad unwelcome, but the dark hallway scared her too much to try and confront Hank if he’d heard anything. She was pretty sure he was still sleeping anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Rating will be adjusted as we move along, for there might be guppies looking for a read. 
> 
> Please be kind and comment~! Tell me what you think, gimme a book report. Whatever, just don't leave a girl waitin'!
> 
> ((PS seriously considering a title change, I was a lil hasty with it methinks. What say you, fellow reader?)))


End file.
